15 Quick, Fun Christmas Activities To Do On A Finals Study Schedule

The last weeks of class between Thanksgiving Break and Christmas are the worst weeks of the semester. We've all gotten a taste of the holiday bug, and once we taste a several-day break, we sure don't want to be back in class. And of course, the period when students least want to be in class is probably the highest-stakes time of the semester. Final projects and papers are due. The last bit of information is being crammed in before the final day of class. Study guides (if any are given at all) are thrown together and studied. And then, once you experience the joy of the last day of class, you find yourself crammed in a dark corner of the library or other favorite study spot cramming for exams that will make or break your grade.

But during this über-stressful time of the school year, we need to remember to take a step back, take a breath, and enjoy a quick rejuvenating study break. And what better way to do this than to celebrate the upcoming holiday season? You're at school, surrounded by friends you probably won't actually get to see when the holiday rolls around, so celebrate with them now! I know it's hard to get people to put down the books and get together to celebrate, but we all do better on exams when we take an hour-or-so-long break every once in a while. Here are some suggestions for some fun, holiday-themed, study break ideas for you and your besties to try before you go home for the holidays!

1. Sing some Christmas songs.

Music is always a good way to take a study break. You can sing some songs with friends, listen to it to it while you study, or - if you're bold - go caroling around your dorms! "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

2. Bake or decorate some Christmas cookies.

This is a fun, easy way to celebrate the holiday spirit. You can make it as easy as you want (just buy some pre-made dough and put it in the oven) or go all-out and bake some from scratch. Regardless of which route you take, you get a study snack in the end!

3. Go see the lights.

If your school is in a big city, I bet they have some sort of lights display that you can go to see. Or maybe just drive downtown at night and look at all the holiday lighting and window displays. But even if your school is in a smaller town, houses decorate! Go around and look (or judge) how different people decorate their homes. Some people go all-out, some go classy, and some.... not so much.

4. Watch a holiday movie.

Take your pick. You can go Hallmark movie. If you want action, you can watch "Die Hard." If you want funny, watch "Elf." If you want a long study break, you can watch the entire "Santa Claus" series. Or, my personal favorite, you can go nostalgic and watch classics from your childhood like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Nester the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey," or "A Year Without a Santa Claus."

5. Watch your favorite holiday episodes of your favorite shows.

Most shows, especially long-running ones, have at least one Christmas-themed episode. These air all the time throughout the month of December. If you can't find one on live TV, find your favorite show on Netflix or Hulu and binge a whole bunch of holiday episodes. Just make sure to include FRIENDS and "The One with the Holiday Armadillo." Classic.

6. Decorate a tree.

There is no excuse not to have a tree. If you're in a dorm, you can go buy a mini tree for like $10 and decorate it with your roommate. If you have an apartment or a house, you can go full-on home-for-the-holidays level decorations. Plus, you'll get another study break later when you have to take it all down.

7. Do a Secret Santa exchange.

This can be such a fun activity for busier friend groups. You can hide little presents for a secret Santa or have one big gift exchange after exams. Either way, it's always fun to get gifts, spend time with friends, and try to keep your Secret Santa a secret!

8. Drink some hot cocoa.

What better to stay warm with than a hot chocolate. After a long day of cramming homework and studying and fueling yourself with coffee, hot chocolate is a great drink to have to calm yourself down and relax.

9. Decorate ginger bread houses.

This can be messy, but it is always a laugh. You can make a joint house with friends, or have some good-natured competition. Just make sure you get some of the candy on the house before you eat it all!

10. Go ice skating.

I would advise actually being *good* at ice skating before adhering to this suggestion. If you don't, you'll just end up like me with an embarrassing broken appendage. But the fun is what matters, not the doctor's bills!

11. Go to a holiday parade.

Most big cities or small towns have some sort of holiday celebration in the month of December. It might be a parade, a tree-lighting ceremony, or maybe a festival of lights. Take a few hours of your weekend studying and go explore the holiday traditions of your college town!

12. Go see the Nutcracker.

A lot of schools have art departments that put on "The Nutcracker." If your school doesn't, it's likely there's a dance school or company in your college town that puts it on between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a really fun night out with friends where you can get dressed up and get into the holiday spirit.

13. Buy each other board games as gifts, then have a game night.

Instead of a secret Santa, maybe do a gift exchange of board games. Once they're all opened, you can have a game night party and have games to play all next semester!

14. Go window shopping and look at the mall displays.

While we are all poor college students who can't afford all the luxuries of everything to buy at Christmas, it's still fun (but tempting) to go look!

15. Do some holiday crafts.

This can be as simple as coloring a picture or as creative as making a snow globe. You can make Christmas cards to send and surprise your relatives with. You can make something that could end up being a sentimental (and cheap) gift for someone you care about.

Whatever you choose to do this holiday season to get a break from studying, enjoy your time with friends and family!

40 Things To Do During Summer Vacation

It's been less than a week since finals wrapped up at the University of Minnesota, and I, among many of my other friends, are already lost on things to do. Since January, our entire schedules have been filled with homework and studying. The new freedom summer brings provides endless time (in between our summer job shifts, of course) for new activities and things you wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to do during the school year. Below is a list of 40 different activities to keep you entertained during your break and to ensure you make the most of your summer.

1. Learn a new language.

I highly recommend starting with Duolingo. It's an app that provides free language tutoring through a series of activities and exercises. It offers a wide variety of languages such as Spanish, German, Greek, Swahili, among many others.

2. Volunteer.

There's an endless amount of volunteering opportunities offered throughout every major city in the country. For example, many hospitals will accept volunteers, as well as organizations in Minnesota such as Feed, My Starving Children, or the Ronald McDonald House. Most positions only require an application but be sure to check for minimum requirements such as age or experience.

3. Read a book.

Go to a library and wander until you find a book you think you'll like. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

4. Watch a TED talk.

This is one of my favorite hobbies any time of the year. TED is a nonprofit organization that shares short, approximately 15-minute videos ranging from science to business to global issues. There's a topic out there for everyone.

5. Start a garden.

Even if you don't have any outdoor space, succulents and cacti are very low maintenance and still add a little "green" to your indoor space.

6. Go camping.

Whether it's at a campground or in your backyard, enjoy the technology-free time with your family or friends.

7. Paint.

If you're not an artistic person, go to the store, buy a set of Crayola watercolors, and just paint.

8. Take an online course.

Coursera and edX both supply free online courses from top universities such as Yale, MIT, and Harvard. If you're trying to further your understanding of a particular topic such as physics or biology, I suggest starting with these websites.

9. Bake brownies or cookies.

Most stores stock up on the prepared cookie or brownie mixes, but if you have the time and ingredients, try making them from scratch.

10. Fly a kite.

Kites are available on Amazon for $10-$15, and instruction videos are available on YouTube to help you get started.

11. Play board games.

Life and Scrabble are my go-to's.

12. Make a scrapbook of old memories.

If you have the time and a little extra money, I promise the end-product will be worthwhile.

13. Start a journal.

You don't have to go buy the fancy Moleskin journals or buy an expensive one from Barnes and Noble, a simple notebook will do the trick. Write down your thoughts and document your summer.

14. Go to the beach.

Enjoy the sunshine, but don't forget sunscreen!

15. Go fishing.

Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and one of them is most likely within driving distance. Take the time on a nice, calm morning, and go fishing.

16. Binge-watch a TV show on Netflix.

"The Office," "Friends," "New Girl," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Grey's Anatomy" are good places to start.

17. Start a bucket list and cross off one item every week.

The items added don't have to be spectacular and nearly unattainable, they can be little things, too. In other words, I'm not expecting you to go skydiving, swim with sharks, and go on a cruise all in one month.

18. Learn to rock climb.

Both indoor and outdoor rock climbing are available depending on your level of comfort and experience. Remember to take every safety precaution and have fun.

19. Catch up with an old friend over coffee.

Call the friend you haven't seen in three years and ask to catch up over coffee. You never know how much their life has changed since last speaking with you.

20. Have a picnic.

Pack a basket with sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, and juice, and find a nice spot with a view. Maybe bring a book for a post-picnic activity.

21. Meditate or do yoga.

If you're unexperienced in both of these activities, many YouTube channels provide instructional videos. I'll post a link to one of my favorite YouTube yoga instructors here.

27. Build a card tower.

28. Reorganize and redecorate your room.

If you'd like a change in your life, try redecorating or reorganizing your room. Donate old clothes, books, or furniture no longer in use.

29. Marathon the entire Harry Potter series.

I challenge you to do this back-to-back with each movie, but I also realize that is 19 hours and 39 minutes of watching movies, not including snack or bathroom breaks.

30. Play with a pet.

It doesn't have to be your own. For a real adventure, check out the nearest animal shelter.

31. Start a blog.

Wordpress and Weebly are two online blogging websites that I highly suggest. Although it takes awhile to become accustomed to the platform, these websites are great because they're entirely customizable to the type of blog you wish to create.

32. Go for a bike ride.

Whether it's along the river or out on back roads, go for a ride.

33. Teach yourself how to juggle.

This might be easier said than done, but some videos on YouTube might be useful.

34. Take a bubble bath.

Some bubble bath or a bath bomb, music, and a good book will have you relaxed almost instantly.

35. Go to a farmer's market.

Support the farmers in your community and try buying local. With a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and flowers, there's something for everyone. The farmer's market in downtown Minneapolis is open Thursday's from 6am-6pm, while the Lyndale Market is open daily from 6am-1pm.

36. Exercise.

Go for a walk. Run. Bike. Do yoga. Play soccer. Just get up, and get moving.

37. Become a tourist in your own city.

Pretend you're from out of state and only have a limited amount of time to explore your city. Take yourself and your friends or family to the must-see places around town.

38. Color.

Adult coloring books have become an increasingly popular trend. Available online, Barnes and Noble, and Target, they're easily accessible. You can buy a book, some colored pencils or pens, and enjoy the relaxing day.

39. Spend time with your family and friends.

Whether it's a movie day or going out on a walk, put away your phone or laptop for a day and appreciate the people standing around you.

40. Enjoy all the time you have not worrying about studying or homework.

I'm Keeping My Christmas Tree Up All Winter And There's Nothing You Can Do About It

I think that my tree would not be considered Christmas-y if the ornaments are taken off and the lights are kept on. I think to just looks wintry. I am also keeping up decorations that say "let it snow", and I am keeping up any snowman without holly berries or presents in their hands.

The tree looks wintry in my opinion. It looks pretty with the lights and brings the room together. It gives off a warm ambiance, unlike that of fluorescent lighting.

I've taken all ornaments off except for gold snowflakes and I've left the silver tinsel garland on as well as the lights. It looks wintry to me still. I will probably be taking the whole tree down by the end of this month to prepare for Valentine's Day decorating. (Yes, I pretty much decorate my apartment for every holiday—sue me).

There's nothing like coming downstairs and seeing those lights sparkling.

Or coming inside from a dreary, rainy day outside and seeing them light up the room in a calm, warm, and comforting glow.

Or having a bad day, looking up, and seeing them shine.

It sort of makes me upset when I come downstairs and see that someone has unplugged them, to be honest.